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Stormgirl2012 Can a GP alone Diagnose Anxiety, depression, Etc?
  • replies: 6

Hi allI'm new here and have been on and off of medication for about the last 4 years. My GP has never ever referred me on to see anyone else. Can a GP alone diagnose things such as depression, bipolar and anxiety etc? I am at a point with my anxiety ... View more

Hi allI'm new here and have been on and off of medication for about the last 4 years. My GP has never ever referred me on to see anyone else. Can a GP alone diagnose things such as depression, bipolar and anxiety etc? I am at a point with my anxiety that I aaoid going anywhere new because I'm worried about crowds and the unfamiliarity of somewhere/something new. My husband wants to go on holiday overseas but just the thought of it makes me tense up. I have been overseas before many times so it's not like it's something I've never done before. Anyway, I'm having a bad time on medication- so tired all the time. I eat a lot and don't exercise because I am so tired - I used to be a regular gym goer. When I do it it's like I inhale my food, it's awful! Anyway, should I get my GP to refer me to a psychologist or something? At the very least I think a change in meds might work.

Shell_Shell Parents against diagnosing medication for Depression/Anxiety/OCD
  • replies: 8

Hi all. I don't really know what to say except explain the situation and ask for advice... Back in high school (yr 10) I was having a lot of isssues and my GP that my mum had been taking me to for my whole life said it was her professional opinion th... View more

Hi all. I don't really know what to say except explain the situation and ask for advice... Back in high school (yr 10) I was having a lot of isssues and my GP that my mum had been taking me to for my whole life said it was her professional opinion that I had OCD and anxiety issues. My mum essentially scoffed at her and said that there was no way I was going on meds. To this day my mum still says how disappointed she was with that GP and that she "just wanted to through me into a label and drug me". My father didn't really know how to deal with all this and just kond of ignored it all. My mum then proceeded to send me to a Kanezelogoist to help me deal with whatever was going on. After having 3 sessions a week for a month and feeling terrible that my mother was spending all this money for - what seemed to me - no improvement, I simply got better at hiding my compulsions. My mother to this day believes it worked and my father talks to me normally again. However I still have compulsions that I have to do or else I start stewing and panicking over them. The reason why I said all that was because now after about 4-5 months of feeling like something is up I have come to accept that if I went back to a GP I would probably be diagnosed with Depression and/or Anxiety (I don't really understand how the two correlate but I think the Anxiety was always there and the Depression has just made it worse). The problem is this; I still live at home. I work 2 jobs and voulentteer but I still live with my parents. Im worried that if I do go talk to a GP and they diagnose me with something that my parents (particularly my mum) will find out and waste money on natropaths or kenezelologists (they may help some people but they don't seem to help me if the past os anything to go by). I wouldn't mind going to a professional to talk with (psychologist??) or taking meds since they do seem to work and I want to get past this, but both cost money and my mother is able to access my bank account and see where my money is going. Is there any other way to help myself without having to go to the GP and be diagnosed?? Has anyone else been in this or a similar situation? Sorry for the long post... Shell

Amanda_KW Scared about addiction and side effect of depression meds
  • replies: 3

I am too scared to take medication for depression. I am told it is very addictive and side effects. Are there certain medications that you have had that you advise to steer clear of and why? I picked up some vitamin B and st johns wart today at the c... View more

I am too scared to take medication for depression. I am told it is very addictive and side effects. Are there certain medications that you have had that you advise to steer clear of and why? I picked up some vitamin B and st johns wart today at the chemist, getting back into meditation and reading a book on anger management along with diet changes to help so hopefully I can avoid medication, what are your thoughts on this? My husband told me that the medication he used to take for depression, when he weened himself off it, it gave him electric shocks through his brain.

G0nz0 anti depressants and hallucinations?
  • replies: 3

Hi,I have very recently started taking an antidepressant . On the first day I began experiencing a few of the most common side effects (nausea, drowsiness) but then at night when I tried to go to sleep I realised I was having these closed-eye halluci... View more

Hi,I have very recently started taking an antidepressant . On the first day I began experiencing a few of the most common side effects (nausea, drowsiness) but then at night when I tried to go to sleep I realised I was having these closed-eye hallucinations of fast moving fractal-like patterns, I could see them when I had my eyes open in the dark too as well as having my over-all perception altered. I've tried researching about this and I recognise that any medication which alters the brain in some way may result in things like this.. but there weren't many sources which talked about it in depth and the information sheet for this medication only vaguely mentions 'visual disturbances' as a possible side effect.I guess I'm interested in whether this could be something I have to deal with long term or whether it is likely to go away when the other side effects do too. It's pretty distracting when I'm trying to fall asleep, which is already proving to be difficult as well.Has anyone else experienced anything like this and is this just another common side effect?Thankyou

JustTiffanyxo Psych appointment & the perils of new medications
  • replies: 3

So, I'm back. Still here, just busy with work. So thought I'd write a post now that I have days off. I'd also like to talk about something that probably not a lot of people would not even dare talk about in a public forum. I had another psych appoint... View more

So, I'm back. Still here, just busy with work. So thought I'd write a post now that I have days off. I'd also like to talk about something that probably not a lot of people would not even dare talk about in a public forum. I had another psych appointment this morning, very expensive might I add, even with the medicare rebate...and I told her I had stopped taking the newly prescribed meds (and before you all start, they were only prescribed to help me sleep, I gave them a try and they made things worse for me, multiple awakenings and finding it hard to fall back asleep), and the new drugs made me eat like there was no tomorrow, every thing I saw (food wise) I wanted to eat. I just wanted to eat. All of the time. Now we all know how terrible those consequences can be (ladies) don't we. Those were the first two reasons why I stopped taking the new med. The final reason however, some people may take offence to, but, I am a nurse and there are no boundaries I will not criss when it comes to the human body. Ok, so you want to know what it is??? Do YOU? CONSTIPATION!!! Oh. My. God. I had/have never felt so uncomfortable in all my life. And it certainly wasn't helping things when all I wanted to do was eat. My brain said EAT EAT EAT!!! But my poor bowel said for the love of god woman, STOP EATING, we are backed up enough!!!!! Too far? I'm sorry if you think so. But it's a topic I'd thought I'd bring up, I don't think it's talked about as much as it should be, that it's a common side effect of A LOT OF MEDICATIONS, and I mean A LOT! I also thought that hey, we are all feeling down, that's why we are here, so I thought I'd make a humorous, light hearted post. Even if I can get a giggle or even a smile from you when you are reading this, my job is done. (One condition of course, I'd love it if you read this post and smile, comment and say you did, I'd love to know.) Over and out!

jennyr Acupuncture for Anxiety
  • replies: 1

I would like to know if anyone has used acupuncture to help control their anxiety? If so, did it work and how long did it take for it to work. Regards Jenny

I would like to know if anyone has used acupuncture to help control their anxiety? If so, did it work and how long did it take for it to work. Regards Jenny

Amy_G Continue with therapy or try just medication?
  • replies: 3

I was diagnosed with depression like 3 months ago and I’ve been going to see a psychologist for 10 weeks but it’s been completely useless. I’ve also been taking antidepressants for almost 4 weeks and they haven’t worked at all yet either so the GP is... View more

I was diagnosed with depression like 3 months ago and I’ve been going to see a psychologist for 10 weeks but it’s been completely useless. I’ve also been taking antidepressants for almost 4 weeks and they haven’t worked at all yet either so the GP is increasing the dose, and she said that since the therapy isn’t working that the problem is likely to be mostly chemical so like if therapy hasn’t worked at all by now it probably won’t… But I kind of just think that my therapist wasn’t very good. It seems like her whole approach was to tell me to do things that I didn’t want to do or couldn’t be bothered to do usually, and even when it was clear that I couldn’t do those things and that nothing she was doing was helping, she just kept going with that approach the entire time. Then she basically said it was my fault that there was no progress because I wasn’t “fighting” hard enough. So I can’t decide whether I should just keep going with the medication without any therapy and see if there’s a change, or whether I should find another psychologist and try again with that? Or maybe I could wait until next year and get a new mental health plan and try therapy again then so at least if it’s useless I won’t be wasting money? I’ve been doing some of those free online self-help cbt things, like moodgym etc., and they’ve also been no help, so I sort of don’t know if cbt would be any better in real life or not? This is so frustrating everything feels useless :(

grandmakris48 My Bipolar Disorder
  • replies: 1

I saw my Psychiatrist today. I don't care for him much because he likes to play god. I am dual diagnosed and he focuses only on my addiction and not my bipolar. I have been telling him for the last few months that I don't feel like I am on the right ... View more

I saw my Psychiatrist today. I don't care for him much because he likes to play god. I am dual diagnosed and he focuses only on my addiction and not my bipolar. I have been telling him for the last few months that I don't feel like I am on the right Psych Medications. He kept refusing to adjust or change my medications. I finally got so upset today that he called in my therapist to intervene. I don't know exactly what worked, but he finally adjusted my medication. He switched gears quickly when I told my therapist that he wasn't helping me. I still don't care for him and might have to end up going to a different doctor, but I will give it a try. I feel like I won a battle today!

Bigc Started on medication anxiety is through the roof???
  • replies: 4

Just started on an antidepressant for my anxiety and depression, been on it for about 8 days and my anxiety has been so much worse than i can ever remember. I have multiply things stacked up to worry about. Half of them being things that 99.9% didn't... View more

Just started on an antidepressant for my anxiety and depression, been on it for about 8 days and my anxiety has been so much worse than i can ever remember. I have multiply things stacked up to worry about. Half of them being things that 99.9% didn't happen or my past when i was like 12. I have been getting sick intrusive thoughts which i don't want to share either. I am not a bad person i know that. I am the type of person that feels bad if they step on a snail. However i don't seem to trust myself anymore or have any faith in what i have done and haven't done. I would think of a thought, something that happen that is acceptable as i can remember it, then ulter it into something that isnt acceptable then start to become paranoid that that was the case, has anyone else done that. I am seriouslty losing my mind.Has anyone had any similar experiences and will my antidepresant eventually help me, i have heard it may take up to 6 weeks.

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